Perspectives
by COOKIECHEESEMAN
Summary: Complete. A variety of situations told from Raven and Rebecca's point of views. Eventually, they start to grow closer, and maybe, just maybe, they begin to see each other as more than just accidental friends. Slight RavenxRebecca romance.
1. First Impressions and the Storm

Perspectives

Chapter 1: First Impressions and the Storm

**Rebecca's POV**

_Why did it have to break? I need this bow to catch dinner tonight! Stupid Will caused me to get in line too late, and there was nothing left to eat! He should have at least shared with me! Oh well. I'll just tie this string here... oh darn it! The string broke!_

Groaning to myself, I grab some extra string in my basket to tie up the bow with, but it's too long. Not a problem. I'll just cut it like so... ouch!

I cut my finger!

Whimpering from pain, I hold back my tears as I try and figure out a solution. I don't have a bandage with me, so I'll have to make due with some cloth from my shirt. I'm about to rip some off when I notice a tall redheaded man standing above me, observing my work. I think he's a mercenary from our army, now that I think about it, and the thing that catches my attention about him are his eyes; they're as hardened as stone, and completely devoid of any emotion at all.

He raises an eyebrow as I take in his appearance, and without a word, rips a small portion of material off of his shirt, bends down towards me, and begins bandaging my finger with surprising gentleness. His kind act accidentally causes me to lower my guard, and I can feel a tear roll down my face from the pain of the cut as I sniffle. When he sees me crying, I swear I notice his eyes change; just for a moment, but they change, somehow.

Either way, within a minute, he finishes bandaging my finger and starts working on my bow, tying up the string I just cut up. Quickly tying it together, my bow's fixed within a couple of minutes, and when I test it in my hand, I can tell it's even better than when I first started using it. Amazing!

"You are too young to be in this army," the man says to me, and I look up at him, confused. "Why are you here? This is too dangerous a situation for someone like you to be in."

"You think so?" I reply with uneasiness. "I... have to be here. I'm looking for someone important, and besides, I have to help protect my friends. So, that's why I'm with this army, sir...?"

"Raven." Eyeing me curiously with his still hardened gaze, he calmly grabs some loose hair over my face and relocates it behind my ear, and I blush slightly at the gesture. What is he doing?

"Er... I'm Rebecca! It's nice to meet you!" I quickly interject, trying to change the subject. He really _is_ a handsome man, and he did help me just now... but now I remember something important; lots of the people in the army say that... I should stay away from someone like Raven. They say that he's antisocial, scary, and cold, but I think they're exaggerating. He can't be that bad.

"I know who you are."

Never mind; that's kind of scary.

"I need to know who my allies are, so I gain intelligence on them from others," Raven clarifies, and I'm relieved from the answer; if he just knew my name for no reason, that would be creepy. Somehow, though... Raven doesn't seem like the 'creepy' guy to me. I believe there's more to him than meets the eye.

"Well, either way, thank you very much Raven! Do you want me to cook something for you as thanks?"

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_Hmph. This girl should not be here; why am I encouraging her by fixing her bow? We really aren't too far away from where she lives, according to that friend of hers. Someone should take her back. I don't want my sister here either, but she refuses to leave. At least this young girl should be in safe hands then. I will admit, however, that her reasons for staying are sound._

"Could you repeat that?" I ask Rebecca, and she merely smiles at the question. She really _is_ a cheerful girl, and I honestly wonder why I came here in the first place; if I had truly known for sure about her personality...

"I want to hunt and cook something for you!" she responds happily. Such astonishing changes in demeanour she's showing me: firstly, sadness from the pain of her cut; secondly, embarrassment while I fixed that small piece of hair that was getting on my nerves; and thirdly, cheerfulness. All within a couple of minutes. Not an easy feat. And she can hunt as well? Perhaps she _can_ handle herself. Better for me, anyway.

"I can get anything for you! Duck, boar, deer..."

Other than Lucius and my sister, no one has ever put the time and effort into keeping conversation with me, and for some reason, as I listen to her excitedly telling me about her hunting skills, my chest starts to feel strange. I don't recognize the light scent she is wearing, and perhaps I am reacting to it. It's probably best to stay away. I was fine when I was by myself anyway. I don't need her company. Lucius will just start bugging me about it anyway.

"...surprise me," I reply unenthusiastically.

"Wonderful! I'll make something tasty for you sometime!" Giving me a farewell smile and wave, she runs off, carrying her bow, and I decide to leave and put up my tent before it gets too dark. Setting up a tent in the pitch black is not fun.

* * *

_Great. Lucius distracted me, and now... I'm setting up my tent in the dark. That's just wonderful. It's raining too, adding to the horrible atmosphere. And of course, he's in his tent, nice and warm, probably reading one of his religious books to pass the time. This is NOT what I wanted to do tonight. And I have to do this all by myself!_

Wait a minute...

"Raven? Why are you setting up your tent now?"

...Rebecca?

Why is she out here in the rain?

"You shouldn't be out here! Come on, let me help you!" she shouts over the downpour, and she begins quickly stomping a tent peg into the ground before I step in front of her and halt her progress.

"_You_ are the one who should not be out here!" I angrily respond. "We are in the pouring rain... leave now."

She looks at me curiously, almost as if she's contemplating why I'm telling her this. Shouldn't it be obvious? I really can't believe or understand her blind enthusiasm to helping me. Why does she care so much?

"And leave you, Raven? That's not very nice."

I sigh at her insistence. Hmph. Well, I guess the faster we work, the faster she'll go back to her tent. "Let's do this quickly."

We work surprisingly efficiently together, and pretty soon, the tent is up. And of course, after finishing, Rebecca is shivering from the rain, so I forcefully take her into the tent and give her one of my blankets to warm herself up with. Seeing her like this kind of ticks me off. I said from the beginning that she shouldn't be here, and yet, here she is, offering to help put up tents in the rain! How logical is that?

"...I don't understand you."

Still shivering, Rebecca looks around the tent and examines it with interest before staring at something in particular. What's she looking at? There's nothing here of interest. Just my sleeping stuff, some clothes, and...

...my picture of Priscilla.

Why is she so interested in it?

* * *

**Rebecca's POV**

_Who's that picture of? She looks familiar... wait! That's Priscilla! Why does he have a picture of her here? Oh my... could they be in a relationship? That's interesting. How could the two of them understand each other? Priscilla is so sweet and caring... what is there about Raven that she could love about him?_

I'm curious to find out, though!

"Is that Priscilla?" I ask him while pointing at the picture, and he solemnly nods to affirm the answer. At this point, it's time to be _really_ nosy, and so I 'go in for the kill', so to speak: "Do you love her?"

Raven raises his eyebrow at the question, and I grin, knowing I've hit something. Let's see how he reacts! "Well?" I prod, "do you?"

Instead of answering, he simply opens the tent flap, looks out at the unrelenting rain, and grabs some clothes from his bag before tossing them over to me. "Here," he says, "you can't go back to your tent... the rain's gotten worse."

Going and looking outside myself, I see that the rain has worsened, and the wind's ridiculously strong. It's not even safe to be out there! Good thing we double re-enforced the tent pegs earlier!

"So..." he continues, "you're staying here. I'll go in the corner, and you can go where I usually sleep. Change into these clothes under the blanket. Try to sleep." After he finishes his sentence, he pulls out a blindfold, ties it onto himself, and lies in the corner while settling down into slumber. Honestly, I can't really believe what's going on here!

Hee hee... I know Will wouldn't believe me if I told him!

* * *

Author's Notes

New three chapter story by me! My goal is to finally get Raven right! I messed him up slightly in his cameo in 'Her Smile', and I REALLY messed him up in 'A Mutual Feeling'. (remember THAT? :p)

I discovered the secret: I cannot do a full-fledged romance with him. No mutual expressions of "I LOVE YOU" to each other... and no implied incest either. :p As well, I can't go too nuts with Raven, or his personality will be wrong. Not like I did with 'Kissing Booth'! Sain was quite nuts there for good reason! However, I do know that Raven can easily hold his own in a conversation, so I truly don't believe he's speaking too much. Plus, I always saw him as a very observant person; noticing certain things about others and filing them away without anyone knowing.

I think I've basically forgotten how to write third person. :D Therefore, I chose this interesting approach to understand Raven and Rebecca's thoughts in more detail. Originally, it was going to include Lucius' POV as well, but in the end, I decided against it. By the way, this is the only chapter to reference a support conversation, and even then, many things about it were changed.

_**She really IS a cheerful girl, and I honestly wonder why I came here in the first place; if I had truly known for sure about her personality... **_This line is purposely ambiguous in meaning.

Well, I've had enough time to think, and it's time to resolve our wonderful conflict in A Glimmer of Hope! Thing is, my life has suddenly gotten very busy in a good way, and so updating will be slower in the future. Just mentioning to you guys!


	2. Rose and the Misunderstanding

Chapter 2: Rose and the Misunderstanding

**Raven's POV**

_Hmph. What a night. I didn't get very much sleep, all because of Rebecca. I needed to wear the blindfold so I wouldn't watch her changing, and I was cold on the floor. I should have checked if Lucius had room in his tent for me to sleep there instead. Doesn't matter, I guess... at the very least, Rebecca's okay now. She's just going to kill herself if she does ludicrous things like helping someone pitch a tent in the rain._

I glance over in Rebecca's direction as I get ready to leave, and she's just sleeping away, warmly hugging my shirt over herself. She's very smiley, this girl. Doesn't it hurt to smile that much?

She sure looks comfortable, though.

Either way, it's time to eat. Leaving my tent, I look around to see if breakfast is cooking, and when I finally get in line to receive my meal, I'm surprised to see Priscilla standing in front of me. Why is she up this early?

"Hello, Lord Brother," she happily greets me, and I notice that she's all smiles as well. Who's happy this time of day? "Can I eat with you this morning?"

"...I don't see why not," I reply cautiously, "but we must not be noticed."

Despite the warning, my answer to her question seems to brighten her more, and after we get our food, (bland soup. Delicious.) we find a corner to eat in privacy. We say nothing to each other, but I can tell that Priscilla is happy; we've seen each other only a few times since being separated years and years ago, and she's missed me for unknown reasons. Sure, I'm her brother, but what does she see in me to want to be near me?

And on that note, why Rebecca as well?

"Lord Brother, is something troubling you?"

Eerie.

"Something's always troubling me."

"Oh, stop it," she says to me, moving closer, and I can see her face is concerned for me. "I'm serious."

I shrug. "So am I. Let's change the subject..."

This is obviously not the answer Priscilla's looking for, but I'm not going to say anything. It's nothing she should be concerning herself with, but nevertheless, her face droops in sadness, upset that I am not opening up to her. "Fine... Lord Brother, will you help me tie my feather onto my hair?"

Hmph. She's using her trump card. Even if she doesn't remember, (which I assume is the case) this question always works against me. Before we were separated, she would ask me to help her so I would stay with her. She's such a needy child, even now. I know she can do it herself now, but...

"Yes..." I sigh in defeat, and her face lights into a smile once more. She positions herself behind me and hands me her favourite white feather she twirls into her hair every day, and I begin working.

Well, at least she's happy.

* * *

**Rebecca's POV**

_Ah! I feel so refreshed this morning! Raven's clothes are so comfy! Now I'm ready to start another day! I don't see him, so I'll thank him later, but right now I have to tell my story to Will! Wonder what's he's doing. Oh no! Maybe he's eating my breakfast!_

I rush out of the tent to try and find Will, knowing that he'll unknowingly eat my portion of breakfast if I don't get there soon enough. I know he's my childhood friend, but he can be careless sometimes. Maybe he's over here...

Hmm, who's that in the bushes? I'll have to check who it is and see if they've seen Will. Hey! That's not Will! It's Raven!

Wait, what's he doing?

Peeking behind some bushes, I notice Raven delicately tying something through Priscilla's hair. Wow, he's really concentrating, but... his eyes don't have the usual hardened expression they're usually wearing. He seems... almost happy? Well, not happy, but content. Yeah, that's it! I can't really see him doing something like that for someone else, though.

He must really care for her.

And if she loves him back, I'm happy for him! At least someone can get past his hard exterior!

Oh well, I shouldn't be here staring at them! I'll thank him later! I need my breakfast first!

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_What's that rustling through the bushes? Whatever. Probably a bird. Hmm... Priscilla's hair is really knotted tight. I'm going to really need to work this feather through. But if I pull too tight, it'll hurt. Most anyone else, I wouldn't care, but Priscilla's trusting me to be gentle..._

Eventually, I get the feather through, and Priscilla smiles at herself in the creek's reflection. "Thank you, Lord Brother," she appreciatively says to me. "You can have this rose as thanks..."

She hands me a bright red rose; the colour of true love, Lucius told me once; what am I supposed to do with this? And how did I not notice her holding it? I don't need a rose. Hmph. And why is Priscilla laughing at me?

"Lord Brother... if only you could see your face!" she chuckles as I stare at the rose in confusion. It must be a pretty stupid expression for her to be laughing this much. "I should have known you wouldn't need a rose... just give it to someone else instead."

Who's going to want a rose from me? As I think about what to do with this ridiculous gift, Priscilla unknowingly slips away from me, leaving me somewhat dumbfounded.

Now what? I'm not going to throw it away, but I can't use it for anything. Trying to come up with a solution, I hear the rustling of bushes again. Am I being watched? Hope not. I can't let anyone know Priscilla's my sister, not yet. Gripping my sword, I follow the noise and...

Of course. It's Rebecca.

* * *

**Rebecca's POV**

_Whoa! Raven came out of nowhere! Well, this is good! Now I can ask him about Priscilla! And I can thank him too! Maybe I'll do that first. He did a lot for me, and he deserves credit for that. He's not as bad as people make him out to be! I just wish his eyes weren't always so cold._

"Hi Raven!" I greet him cheerfully, "I've been looking for you!"

My words seem to surprise him... I wonder why? Does no one ever seek him out? "I wanted to thank you for letting me stay with you in your tent last night. And for loaning me your clothes!" I add, hugging myself endearingly with his sweater that I'm still wearing. "The sleeves are too long, so they wrap themselves around me easily, and it's just so warm and comfy!"

Now he just looks somewhat astonished. Oh well. At least his eyes aren't scary anymore! "Well," he says to me, "if you REALLY like it so much... keep it."

"Really? Thank you! That means a lot to me!"

At this point, he seems to be contemplating my words. Did I do something wrong? I was only thanking him!

After a while, though, he eventually mumbles awkwardly, "you're welcome, I guess..."

Suddenly, I notice the beautiful red rose in his hand. How did I not see that before? Maybe Priscilla gave it to him? Either way, it's a great way for me to lead into the discussion about her! "Raven," I start, grinning widely, "that's such a pretty rose! Did you get that from Priscilla?"

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_Rebecca's starting to get on my nerves. Why is she acting this way? Does she want my approval? And if she does, for what? I just... don't understand. She seems to be putting so much effort into being with me, when she could easily be spending her time doing something useful. And who cares about the rose and where I got it?_

"...yes," I groan. No point in hiding it, I guess.

"You two are really close!" she gleefully replies, and she gives me a smile of (what I assume to be) approval. She actually seems... really happy, that I said that. What is she thinking? "Do you love her?"

"...yes."

Of course. She's my sister.

However, I think Rebecca's misinterpreting my answer based on her lack of information. She's smiling even more now, if that's possible. Is she happy for me?

"Are you going to ask her to marry you?"

Yep. Lack of information all right.

I scoff at the question in frustration. Obviously, Rebecca doesn't know that Priscilla and I are siblings, and for now I'd like to keep that a secret... but judging by the sudden sadness in Rebecca's eyes, I don't think she likes the way I responded. Is she... going to cry?

...it doesn't matter. What do I care?

* * *

**Rebecca's POV**

_I did not expect that from him! You know, maybe there isn't as much to him as I thought. He clearly loves her, and yet at the thought of spending his life with her, he scoffs? Girls always dream of being happily married, yet if Priscilla saw or heard any of this, she would be heartbroken. Does he really not care? Maybe the others were right about him..._

"Why... why not?" I sniffle. "Are you really that cold of a person that you have to be antisocial and alone without anyone else?"

And he doesn't even react. He just continues standing there with that cold expression on his face. Just a minute ago, he looked almost normal, but not anymore. How can he not say anything?

"You know, everyone else said to stay away from you, but I thought they were just being rude. They said you were cold, antisocial, and scary, and I believed them! Until yesterday, I didn't even want to go near you! But when you helped me with my bow, I saw something in you that no one else seemed to."

Now I'm just getting upset... I can feel the tears start to form in my eyes from the realization that my thoughts about Raven were completely misguided.

"I thought... there was something different about you. While others saw you as someone to be feared, I saw something else; I saw a good person who was just a little rough around the edges. I..." stammer, feeling the first tear rolling down my face, "I wanted to believe... that everyone else was wrong. But now I see... I'm the one who was wrong."

I can see he's actually thinking about what I said; his eyes are no longer hardened, but thoughtful. Really, though, I don't even care anymore, so I just leave him alone with his thoughts as I sadly walk to my tent.

"I don't know what Priscilla sees in you, Raven..."

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_Hmph. I couldn't say anything about Priscilla being my sister, so she just overreacted. It's not even her business! Who cares about how I react? Who cares about how I think? Who cares enough to even care in the first place?_

...apparently, Rebecca does.

And I made her cry.

The only person who gave a damn.

What a day. It doesn't really matter in the long run, but I never wanted to hurt the girl. I've been watching her before I even met her; she puts her entire soul into the battlefield just to survive, she helps others around camp, and apparently, she tries to always be cheerful and see the good in everybody.

And I made her cry.

"Gah!" I suddenly groan, clutching my chest. What's with this soft ache I've been feeling ever since Rebecca started getting upset?

Perhaps it's the horrible breakfast giving me some heartburn or something.

Either way, it probably _was_ a dumb idea to scoff so shamelessly at that question. I saw no reason to assume she would react that way, though. I know I'm cold and anti-social, but it's never hurt anybody before...

...at least, not until today.

"...Rebecca's right. Priscilla would be ashamed of me..."

* * *

Author's Notes

This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. And I must say, I think it turned out great!

I noticed I'm spending a lot more time on Raven in this chapter, and in general, a lot more focus on thoughts than setting. That may not be a bad thing, but I worry about it anyway.

I'm not sure if this is smart or not, but I feel it's better to have smaller paragraphs than longer ones, especially the paragraphs with only one sentence. Depending on that one sentence, I think it makes a larger impact on the reader. For example, I felt it would be beneficial to the story in making the sentence "And I made her cry" a separate paragraph (twice :p) instead of adding it to the previous/next one. Does this make sense?

A Glimmer of Hope time! After that, the (probably not) exciting conclusion to this story!


	3. Changes in Opinion and the Resolution

Chapter 3: Changes in Opinion and the Resolution

**Rebecca's POV**

_That was a good nap! Since Eliwood and the other lords went into town for supplies, we weren't on the move today, so I needed the sleep. There was this weird noise I heard a couple of minutes ago, but I guess it's gone. Oh yes, I just remembered... Raven. I was mad at him! And yet... I'm not one to hold a grudge. Maybe there was a reason he was so snarky, and I'm just jumping to conclusions like that time I kicked Will in the stomach..._

I think I should go find Raven! I'll confront him, ask him why he acted the way he did, and then work from there. Perfect! Let's just put his sweater back on, (it's _so_ warm and snuggly!) and... wait a minute!

There's a rose on my pillow!

And there's a note attached!

Good thing I didn't roll on top of it! Someone must have come into my tent and dropped it off while I was sleeping. Weird... anyway, I need to find out what it says!

Untying the bow attaching the note to the rose, I examine it excitedly. Secret admirer? Letter from my mom? Prank from Will? Although, looking at the neat handwriting the mystery person penned, I don't think it's Will. Maybe the writer will identify themselves...

_**Dear Rebecca,**_

_**This is Raven. The reason I reacted so rashly to your question about Priscilla was not because of my loner mentality. You know that I obviously love her, but that is because she is my sister, and not my lover...**_

SISTER?!

_**Could you see me, of all people, with a lover? Who could love me in that way in the first place? Silly girl.**_

_**I have selfish reasons as to why I kept our relationship a secret, but I will not reveal them to you now. You are the only person who actually tried to care about me, but I shrugged it off, so you paid for my ignorance. An explanation was the least I could do.**_

_**Raven**_

He wrote this... for me?

How sweet of him! Ha ha, I can imagine him grumbling away while writing it. I'm going to go talk to him! Maybe we can go back to being friends!

Wow, I forgive people _really_ easily!

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_What does Priscilla want? She stormed up to me and asked why I must always be so angry. Did she notice Rebecca was upset? I wrote her the letter to apologize, so I should probably mention that to Priscilla before SHE gets upset. Can't have two people angry at me. Although, perhaps Lucius will find a reason to hate me, and then THAT will be a fun mess to clean up._

"Lord Brother! I asked you a question!" Priscilla says, disrupting my thoughts. "What did you do to Rebecca to make her so upset? She just ran by me, sobbing and mumbling something about you being a cold, heartless jerk."

This causes me to raise my eyebrow in surprise. "Sobbing?" I ask her to clarify.

"Yes, sobbing..." she replies as her eyes droop into disappointment. "I've never seen someone so visibly hurt by something you've done or said to them."

Something I've done... or said...

This is ridiculous. I've never cared at all about how people reacted to what I've done... and yet, for the first time in many, many years, I feel guilty. I can imagine Rebecca crying her eyes out, ashamed of the undeserved effort she put into being my friend. Hmph. Maybe there _is_ something wrong with me.

Ugh! That stupid heartburn is coming back! Great timing.

"Lord Brother? You seem... troubled."

Instead of responding to the question, I decide to explain the story of the situation, and I can tell she understands my point, although she still seems a tad upset by the end. Figures. Priscilla was always a very emotional and kind-hearted person. That's probably the first thing that stupid green armoured cavalier noticed about her when they met... after looking her over. Which reminds me; I have to kill him soon.

"So that's what happened... you should still apologize to her face-to-face, though."

I snort and cross my arms in amusement. "You always say that about the people I talk to."

Surprisingly, she laughs at my comment before going back to her tent. I wonder what that was for. She doesn't usually laugh in my presence...

I think I'll just lie down and think for a while. It's been a weird day.

* * *

**Rebecca's POV**

_There's Raven! He's sleeping though. His tent is only 50 feet away! Why isn't he in there? Enemies could be lurking! At least I can talk to him privately now! How should I start the conversation? 'Hello Raven! Why didn't you say anything earlier?' Or maybe a meaner approach? 'Jerkhead! You made me really upset!' Yeah! I'll use that! Hee hee, Will's going to get a kick out of this!_

I prep myself to wake up Raven and begin the conversation about the situation and his letter, but to my dismay, he's gone! Where did he go? I search around the entire area, going in circles to see if he's just randomly traversing the woods, but I can't find him anywhere. Only when I sit down to improvise my plan of attack do I notice him lurking in my direction with a bored look on his face. I'm about to speak...

"I'm sorry."

What? He said that?

Hmm... I forgot what I was going to say! So much for prepping!

"I know that I explained myself in that letter..." he says hesitantly, "but I should have considered how you would react. Priscilla told me you were crying... because of me..."

I examine him as he speaks, and right now, his eyes aren't cold and hardened; instead, they're filled with... guilt?! Something must have really changed him if the situation is actually affecting him this much! I don't think he's ever done that for anyone else.

Which means... he really does care...

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_Why does Rebecca look so happy? It's almost like she's in a daydream. I can't say I hate it, but... it's just strange to me. Well, at least she seems better now. Hmm... she's still carrying that rose I sent with the letter. I wonder why?_

"Raven," she says, "I know you are who you are, but you shouldn't make people not like you because of your personality." Pausing for a moment, she continues, "that being said... can we be friends again?"

I nod in affirmation, and she quickly hugs me in response, causing me to look at her confusingly. "If we both put in enough effort... I think things will be okay. Can you promise me that, Raven?"

After a moment's thought, I give her my answer: "Yes, I promise."

My answer causes her to tighten her hold on me, and I notice something poking me in my back before remembering that she's still holding the rose. "Rebecca, why did you keep the rose? I only gave it to you to hold the letter."

Now that I think about it, I never needed to tie the letter to anything, so I'm not sure if that reasoning is actually correct. "Well, Raven," she replies, releasing me from her hug, "it was such a pretty rose! I couldn't bear to get rid of it!" Her eyes seem to be lighting up as she examines the rose further; she must not have looked at it clearly when she first found it. "I don't know what to do with it, though!"

I'm not entirely sure either. Technically, the rose is still as useless to her as it is to me. "You could wear it?"

"Perfect! Could you help me tie it in my hair?"

Great. She's turning into Priscilla. Kneeling down, I weave the rose through her thin tresses of hair while carefully making sure I don't pull too hard. After what she's gone through today because of me, I don't want to make her more upset by literally hurting her. After a couple of minutes, it is finished, and Rebecca thanks me while giving me a warm smile (it's almost ridiculous how smiley she is...) before cheerfully leaving to grab some lunch. She probably didn't eat.

Wait a minute... she must have completely forgotten that Priscilla was the one who gave me that rose in the first place. I almost call out to her, but decide against it; she'll probably be happier thinking it was my intention to let her keep it.

I don't see any reason to tell her otherwise.

* * *

EPILOGUE

**Rebecca's POV**

_Wow, it's cold out here. I know the fire is warm, but I'm kind of far away from it. Not even Raven's sweater is warm enough tonight! I feel like I'm shivering in my boots! Wait, that's because I AM shivering in my boots!_

As I try to think of a solution to my problem, I'm interrupted by somebody picking me up and placing me on their lap! Looking up, it's... Raven? "Don't be stupid; you shouldn't be shivering like that," he mumbles before pulling me into a tight embrace, and while I'm initially embarrassed by the gesture, I hug him in return, taking in his satisfying warmth. Now I'm really comfortable!

You know, I think he's starting to grow on me! If you can get past his initial scariness, there is really nothing wrong with him. There is definitely a kind person in there. I hope we can get closer in the future...

"Raven," I whisper, snuggling even closer to him, "no matter what anyone says, I know you're a good person."

* * *

**Raven's POV**

_Rebecca does some really stupid things sometimes. If she was cold, she should have said something. Hmph. This far away from the fire, she could have easily gotten sick, or worse. Guess I still have to keep an eye on her. Can't let her get killed. She still probably shouldn't be out here, though._

I look down at Rebecca, and she's happily holding on to my waist with... what else, a huge smile on her face. Wait, did she fall asleep? She did. Hmph. It's weird, having someone so comfortable around me to actually... smile...

Oh yeah, and that last comment she made. I don't think I've ever seen _anybody_ that happy while speaking before. Whatever. Nothing I need to worry about.

Well, at least that stupid dull ache from my chest is gone. And yet, some other strange feeling seems to have replaced it... it is a pleasant sensation, but I'm just not sure what it is. Only seems to happen whenever Rebecca's smiling... maybe she's wearing that light scent again from when I first met her yesterday.

Yeah, that's it.

* * *

**Priscilla's POV**

_I love sitting at the campfire. It's just so warm and cozy, especially when the entire army is with us. We get to share stories, talk to people we may not normally talk to, or maybe just watch the flames in comfortable silence, like right now. So peaceful..._

As I revel in the calmness of the situation, I glance around the campfire, and surprisingly, I notice Rebecca curled up in my brother's embrace as he calmly watches the fire. Wasn't she... horribly upset with him? And even stranger, my rose is tied into her hair? What's going on?

This is when I shift my gaze towards Raymond. He must have apologized to Rebecca and given her the rose. I secretly giggle to myself. Could he... actually like her? He won't even let me _hold on to his arm_, let alone fall asleep on his lap. I've never seen anybody put so much trust in him before. And perhaps my brother is... changing, because of her. I bet she probably likes him too...

Tee hee... for their sake, I sure hope so.

THE END

* * *

Author's Notes

Ah! A nice happy ending! Nobody would have thought of that. :p

I don't think I'm ever going to write Raven again. I just have a hard time working with his character. I can't just ignore ideas, though! If I get inspiration, I write. Don't all writers do that? Thankfully, other than A Glimmer of Hope, I have a few one-shot ideas to work with.

It took a long time to word Raven's letter so it wouldn't make him sound OOC, but even then, I'm not sure if I succeeded. Honestly, I'm not sure if I resolved the conflict correctly either. Perhaps Rebecca was too easily forgiving? Perhaps Raven showed too much emotion? Only reader's opinions can answer that question. I like your guys' opinions! The ladies' as well!

I'm happy with the way things turned out. Raven and Rebecca are clearly unaware of their crushes for each other, (even though Priscilla noticed pretty quickly!) and it leaves a perfect open-ended ending for the two of them, although it is OBVIOUS that their relationship will bloom into romance. :p Like I said, I can't do a full-fledged romance when it involves Raven, so this is perfect.

Time to turn AGOH back into a decent submission! And then, a new one-shot! As well, I've updated my profile! I deleted the subheading **My Fire Emblem Pairings.** Now, I made a new subheading that gives people reasons why they should read specific submissions in my normally humourous manner, so check it out! You may find a gem you never thought of reading before. Or maybe it will keep you away instead. :p

Signed, COOKIECHEESEMAN


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